Nations Agree On Phase-out Of Super Greenhouse Gases

KIGALI, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th Oct, 2016 ) - World envoys reached an agreement Saturday on a timetable for the phase-out of potent greenhouse gases used in refrigerators and air conditioners, a major step in curbing global warming.

The amendment to the 1987 Montreal Protocol on protecting the ozone layer was greeted by applause from exhausted envoys who had worked through the night in the Rwandan capital Kigali to put the final touches on the deal to phase out production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).

"Last year in Paris, we promised to keep the world safe from the worst effects of climate change.

Today, we are following through on that promise," said UN Environment Programme chief Erik Solheim.

The US Environmental Protection Agency said, "this day will unquestionably be remembered as one of the most important in our effort to save the one planet we have". Last year's Paris climate agreement aimed to keep global warming below two degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit), compared with pre-industrial levels.

The elimination of HFCs could reduce global warming by 0.5 degrees by 2100, according to a 2015 study by the Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development.